Chapter 239: Kate


    "Aaaiiio.. aunt.. ahhhh.. what are you doing? Ahh.. you can''t possibly do this to your future leader.. aiio.." A minuteter Da walked across the corridors of the pce with her left ear held between her aunt''s clutches.


    "Talk to me when you can achieve that. For now, I guess we need to have a nice chat with your grandma." Da knew there was no saving her ass today. No matter how much she resisted the pain only increased and she was dragged to her grandam''s ce.


    Not long after, the two of them stood before a long alley inside the massing pceplex. "Madam Na, Lady Kate had asked us to stop anyone from approaching at this hour. We would ask you to please dy your visit." These were not ordinary guests but the guards were under strict order.


    The first one that was being dragged down the corridor was the princess of their n and the only child of their leader. Next to her was one of the most brutal warriors of their race. Neither of them was someone they can afford to offend. "Good. Then go on, try stopping me!" Na was blunt as ever with her response.


    She shoved them to the side and pulled Da behind her. The guards looked at the wry smile on each other''s faces. They can only shrug their shoulders before taking their ces in once again.


    *Knock* *Knock* "And this one will be for me.. hmm?" Kate had been in the middle of her sacred ceremony when someone made their presence known at her bedroom door. As expected her face frowned. This was an opportunity she can had chanced upon after years of struggles, how can she let anyone disturb her. Hence, her voice was not very polite while responding.


    "Who is it?" Had there been anyone else they might have been intimidated but not Na? She responded in acent manner. "Sorry to disturb you, mydy. But there is an important matter that I need to discuss with you on an urgent basis. Please allow me in."


    No reply. For the first minute, there was absolute silence and just when Na thought of knocking back, she heard the door unlock. The doors swung open to show a scantly dressed olderdy with a wide smile on her face. "So it''s you, Na. I see you brought the brat too. Come in."


    Kate''s heart raced as soon as she saw her granddaughter with the brute. She had a bad feeling about all this, and to top that Na''s stern expression was not helping her case. Yet, who was she? She had been fighting in the battlefields since the time these kids were suckling on their mother''s tits. The next, minute she had weed them with a straight face.


    Once they sat down together, Kate epted Da''s greetings before turning to Na. "You can tell me your motive now, girl. What happened? Is there some issue about the tribe that you want to discuss?" The older woman had a fair amount of idea but she was not one to give up without a fight.


    "Ahem... Firstly please forgive this junior to disturb you at this hour." Kate waved her hands to show her that it was not a big deal. "Secondly, can your please pass me your space ring,dy Kate? Actually, I have some information that I need to confirm. I know my demands can seem a bit outrageous but since it is rted to your health, I am perfectly in my jurisdiction for that."


    Damon hadmanded his wife and her friend to be heavy-handed with his mother if it came to putting a check on her alcohol addiction. Yet, this was the first time she had directly asked for her personal space ring. "Hmm? It''s not good manners to ask for the personal belongings of your seniors, littledy."


    Kate let her reservations known but the more would resist the surer Na will get of her conjectures. From the way Da had acted, she was more or less convinced that the girl had smuggled some drinks for her grandmother in order to coerce the information out of her. And the fact that she had made a sudden raid on her estate, there was a good chance that she would be able to catch the olddy, red-handed.


    "I know it''s very presumptuous of me to ask for that. Nevertheless, I am duty-bound by the leader to ensure your health. Hence, please co-operate with me." Na put her head down to emphasize the due respect that Katemanded.


    Opposite to her Kate''s eyes had nced over Da''s and her ugly expression meant their secret deal was pretty much exposed. "Huh.. you guys sure take me as a child, don''t you? Why would I consume something deterrent to my health?" She tried to diffuse the situation even when Na ardently extended her open palm.


    "Huff.." Kate puffed her cheeks to show her displeasure whilst she stiffly removed her ring and tossed it. Na picked up the ring mid-air and focussed on scanning the storage for the obvious signs of drinks.


    Meanwhile, a concerned Da managed to gather enough courage to raise her eyes, to apologize to her grandmother, only to find her winking mischievously at her. Out of nowhere, the girl felt her earlier depressed mind, dance in joy. Shepletely forgot that her grandmother was an old monster herself, how can she allow her juniors to catch up to her.


    Beside her, Na had scanned the contents of the ring thrice already, finding not even a trace of alcohol. "Do you want me to pull everything out so that you can take a better look?" Listening to the mocking voice, she can tell that the old woman was pulling her leg.


    "Not required. I hope you don''t mind if I take a look around." Na was unwilling to give up, certain that Kate was hiding things from her. How can she tell? Because someone had cast a small spell in this room, very recently. Though the centaurs can''t cast powerful magic spells, but a small spell to clear out the room was not a big deal. And why else would they cast such a spell, unless they were trying to hide the fragrance of wine, so to say?


    "Yeah, go right ahead." Getting permission Na didn''t waste any time and began to physically search the room. Staring at the slight grin on her grandmother''s face, Da herself grew confident that everything was under control.


    "What did you say to your aunt, little girl? Howe you dragged me into your matters?" Kate ignored thedy rummaging through her belongings and instead switched to her granddaughter.


    Da jumped up in ecstasy and took her seat beside Kate, rubbing her face against her affectionately. "It''s not my fault, grandma. By mistake, I asked aunt about the Epoch training grounds that you told me aboutst time. From there, she began using me of bribing you with alcohol to fetch the information."


    Da''s face looked like she had been wrongfully used of a crime she did notmit. "I told her that she got it all wrong. But all I received, in the end, is a bruised butt. See!!" To magnify her destituteness the girl even turned her torso to the side, showing Kate the prominent p marks that she had endured.


    "Ohh myy..!!" Kate made an exaggerated impression, much to Na''s annoyance. "It''s okay, baby girl. Aunt is a bit paranoid about granny''s health, you know. Here, let me rub it for you." Audible sounds of gnashing teeth can be heard from the corner of the room, and Da was forcing herself fromughing out loud. Kate on the other hand yfully bit her tongue before caressing the red butt of her granddaughter.


    They talked for the next 10 minutes when Na realized that the oledy had been a step ahead of her and had clearly gotten rid of any shreds of evidence. "Ahem... I am sorry for my audacity,dy Kate. Please forgive this junior for wrongfully maligning you."


    "Haha... it''s no issue, Na. You have been a great support to this tribe as well as our family. How can I me it on you, knowing that you only have best wishes for?" Though her words were extremely polite, Na can''t help but feel frustrated at her tone. Her words can be paraphrased to ''Don''t even try girl, you are a hundred years too young for ying these kins of games with this mother.''


    "Thanks for your kind words. Anyhow, there was another matter that I need to discuss with you. About the Epoch training grounds, may I know the reason for you mentioning it to little Da?" Kate was in no hurry to answer her. Taking her time to put the ring back in her finger, she fondled Da''s face.


    "It''s only a matter of time. Da will have to take up the mantle of this tribe one day. The sooner she knows what are our strengths and weaknesses the faster she can grow." Na was expecting something like this but listening to the words right from the horse''s mouth she was unable to hide her disappointment.


    She had her face in her palms while she replied. "Please take a good look at her face,dy Kate. Please tell me from which angle did you find this girl ready for such serious business?" "Pffftt!!" Her words came as a surprise to Kate and before she realized it,ughter had rung out from her mouth, obtaining her re from the girl.


    "Huh.. don''t go on discounting the juniors, aunt. Why do you think I am unprepared?" Da raged at the obvious bias. Na was perfectly prepared for a counter but Kate jumped in to save them from a back and forth argument. "I know she is not ready just yet. That''s why I would like you to take this girl out of our boundaries and make her ready."


    The discussion has suddenly taken a serious turn. Na checked Kate''s face only to find that she had a small smile, telling her that her words were not supposed to be mere lip service. "Are you telling me that we are going to allow her in? That''s too dangerous, madam. We can''t do that, not unless the chief orders it himself."


    "Yeah, but there is no chief right now. Haha.. that will make me the de facto leader. Now, can you please drop your patrolling duties for a while, I need you to take on a very important role that will significantly affect the future of our tribe as a whole?" Even though Na loved her freedom, but if it was amand from the leaders then she was bound to follow through.


    "Coming to the girl, no one is born ready. Damon had entered the training grounds even before he turned eighteen, how can she fall behind?" Na got up after taking asting nce at the pair. "Good. I guess I got nothing to say then." Turning to Da''s direction she continued. "We will leave tomorrow. Say goodbye to your mother, it might take many months."


    Da had been too stunned to respond. How could she have foreseen such a turn of events? Not only did her grandmother turn the situation on its head, she even solved her greatest problem in a matter of minutes. If she gains the ess to the Epoch training grounds, kicking her father''s butt might not remain an impossible dream.


    As soon as Na took her leave, Da had lunged into Kate''s embrace. "I love you so much, grandma heheh.." She rubbed her cheeks against her to show her appreciation. "Hahaha... I love you too, my little princess. I knew how desperate you were for this. Na is one of our best warriors, so make sure you take full advantage of her time."


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